{"id":578,"date":"2019-09-30T07:17:53","date_gmt":"2019-09-30T12:17:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.policyadvocate.com\/?p=578"},"modified":"2019-09-30T07:17:53","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T12:17:53","slug":"over-20000-florida-insurance-claims-remain-unpaid-nearly-one-year-after-hurricane-michael","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fire.h50.us\/~morganpolicy\/blog\/over-20000-florida-insurance-claims-remain-unpaid-nearly-one-year-after-hurricane-michael\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 20,000 Florida Insurance Claims Remain Unpaid Nearly One Year After Hurricane Michael"},"content":{"rendered":"

On October 10, 2019, Hurricane Michael made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, devastating Florida\u2019s<\/a> panhandle between Mexico Beach<\/a> and the Tyndall Air Force Base<\/a> in Panama City<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The first category 5 hurricane since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 to strike the contiguous U.S. Hurricane Michael not only caused widespread damage, but the funds to aid in the cleanup were delayed.<\/p>\n

The lack of resources and continuous delays only led to additional flooding<\/a>, fire damage<\/a>, and personal and community grief.<\/p>\n

How Much Disaster Relief Was Allocated For Hurricane Michael Damage?<\/h2>\n

In May 2019, more than seven months after Hurricane Michael made landfall, the Florida Senate<\/a> released details from Senate Bill 2500, the 2019-2020 General Appropriations Act<\/a>, which increased the total state investment in Hurricane Michael Recovery to just over $1.8 billion.<\/p>\n

One month later in June, the U.S. House<\/a> approved the long-awaited $19.1 billion disaster-relief package<\/a> that was signed by President Trump before being distributed to the areas in need \u2014 our devastated Florida communities included.<\/p>\n

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried<\/a> stated that while the financial relief was long overdue, it was \u201cbetter late than never.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, homeowners throughout the devastated areas are still waiting for their personal financial relief to be delivered, and their insurance companies are to blame.<\/p>\n

As of August 2019, the Miami Herald reported that<\/a> over 20,000 Hurricane Michael insurance claims in Florida<\/a> have gone unpaid, and residents are beyond frustrated.<\/p>\n

Why Are So Many Hurricane Michael Insurance Claims Going Unpaid?<\/h2>\n

There are varying opinions on why Florida residents\u2019 Hurricane Michael insurance claims are going unpaid, including the possibility that the insurance companies\u2019 resources are stretched thin. The abnormally high number of unpaid claims is now getting the investigation it deserves from consumer watchdogs, but the lack of solutions is driving our communities into further despair with each passing day they go without a recovery check.<\/p>\n

Other common problems that policyholders combat after when seeking insurance claim payments can include:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n